.TH FORMAT 1
.SH NAME
format \- format a PC floppy diskette
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B format
.RB [ \-v ]
.I device
.RI [ media-size
.RI [ drive-size ]]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.de SP
.if t .sp 0.4
.if n .sp
..
.B Format
allows a user with read-write permission to
.I device
to format a floppy.  Either one of the special floppy devices must be used,
see
.BR fd (4),
or an automatic device may be used with the size of the floppy specified on
the command line.  Two sizes must be given when formatting a low density
diskette in a high density drive.  For example:
.PP
.RS
.ft B
.nf
format /dev/at1
format /dev/fd1 1200
format /dev/fd1 360 1200
.fi
.ft P
.RE
.PP
The first two commands format a 1.2M diskette, the last formats a 360k
diskette in a 1.2M drive.  A 1.44M drive knows when it's dealing with a low
density floppy, so all these commands format a 720k diskette:
.PP
.RS
.ft B
.nf
format /dev/fd0 720
format /dev/fd0 720 1440
format /dev/ps0
.fi
.ft P
.RE
.PP
No sizes may be specified when using a special floppy device, a size must be
specified when using an automatic device.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B \-v
Verify the process by reading each track after formatting it.  Formatting is
normally blind, the controller has no idea whether it succeeds or not.  Use
.B \-v
on a new box of cheap diskettes, or on a diskette that may have gone bad.
Verifying will increase formatting time by 50%.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR mkfs (1),
.BR fd (4).
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
Numbers will be printed on standard output to show that it is busy.  The
locations of bad sectors are printed on standard error when verifying.  The
exit code is zero unless there are too many bad spots.
.SH AUTHOR
Kees J. Bot (kjb@cs.vu.nl)
